Public Opinion of Forestry 2019 UK and England

Release date: 27 June 2019

Coverage: United Kingdom

Geographical breakdown: England

Issued by: Forest Research 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 7AT

Enquiries: Robert Stagg 0300 067 5238 statistics@forestresearch.gov.uk

Statistician: Sheila Ward 0300 067 5236

Website: www.forestresearch.gov.uk/statistics/ Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 Key findings .................................................................................................................. 4 Woodland recreation .................................................................................................... 5 Proportion visiting woodland .................................................................................. 5 Type of woodland visited ....................................................................................... 6 Reasons for not visiting woodland ......................................................................... 7 Frequency of woodland visits ................................................................................ 8 Management of woodland visited .......................................................................... 12 Membership of organisations .................................................................................. 15 Engagement with forest issues .................................................................................... 16 Importance of forestry ................................................................................................. 18 Climate change ........................................................................................................... 22 Tree health .................................................................................................................. 24 Annex .......................................................................................................................... 28 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 28 Glossary ................................................................................................................... 28 Data Sources and Methodology ............................................................................. 30 UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019: Questionnaire .................................... 36 Introduction

The Forestry Commission/Forest Research has conducted biennial surveys of public attitudes to forestry and forestry-related issues since 1995. These surveys are used to inform and monitor policy development.

The UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019 was commissioned by Forest Research on behalf of the Forestry Commission and Forest Enterprise England (now Forestry England). This publication presents results from this survey of adults (aged 16 years and over) for the UK and for England on:

- woodland recreation;
- engagement with forest issues;
- importance of forestry;
- climate change; and
- tree health.

A copy of the questionnaire used in this survey, giving complete wording of questions and response options, is provided in the Annex at the end of this report.

Surveys have also been run in Wales and in Northern Ireland. Separate reports, providing results from these surveys, are available at www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/statistics-by-topic/public-opinion-of-forestry/.

Statistics on the proportion of adults who have been actively engaged in forestry have already been released, in the Forestry Commission’s Corporate Plan Performance Indicators 2019. Other results from the 2019 survey are published for the first time in this release. Figures for earlier years have not been revised from those previously released. For further details, see the Revisions section of the Annex.

As the data are obtained from a sample survey, there is a range of uncertainty (confidence interval) associated with any results produced. Any differences referred to in the text are statistically significant at the 95 per cent confidence level unless otherwise stated. For further details, see the Data Sources and Methodology and the Quality sections of the Annex. Key findings

On woodland recreation:

- In 2019, 63% of respondents in the UK and England had visited forests or woodlands in the last few years.
- Of those that had visited forests or woodlands in the last few years three quarters visited at least once a month during Summer 2018 (April 2018 – September 2018) and;
- Around one in five respondents said they never visited during the previous winter (October 2018 – March 2019).

On engagement with forest issues:

- 3% of respondents were involved in volunteer work, organised tree planting events, community-based woodland groups or consultations associated with woodlands in the past 12 months.

On the importance of forestry:

- 95% in the UK and 94% in England agreed that forests and woodlands are important to the public because they are important places for wildlife.
- 93% in both the UK and England agreed that forests and woodlands are important to them because they provide a space to relax and de-stress.

On climate change:

- 88% in both the UK and England agree or strongly agree that ‘a lot more trees should be planted’.
- 78% in the UK and 77% in England agree or strongly agree that ‘different types of trees should be planted that will be more suited to future climates’.

On tree health:

- 85% in both the UK and England agree or strongly agree that ‘action should be taken by authorities and woodland managers to protect trees from damaging pests and diseases’.
- Around three quarters in both the UK and England agree or strongly agree that ‘everyone should take action when visiting woodlands to help prevent the spread of damaging tree pests and diseases’. Woodland recreation

The survey asked respondents a number of questions about visits to woodland. This included whether the respondent had visited woodland in the last few years, type of woodland visited, frequency of visits, woodland management and organisation membership.

Proportion visiting woodland

As in previous years, respondents to the 2019 survey were asked whether they had visited forests or woodlands for walks, picnics or other recreation in the last few years.

In 2019, 63% of UK respondents in and 63% in England said they had visited forests or woodlands in the last few years for walks, picnics or other recreation (Table 1).

Table 1 Visits to woodland in last few years

| Year | UK | England | |------|----|---------| | 2003 | 67 | 66 | | 2005 | 65 | 65 | | 2007 | 77 | 76 | | 2009 | 77 | 77 | | 2011 | 67 | 68 | | 2013 | 66 | 65 | | 2015 | 56 | 55 | | 2017 | 61 | 62 | | 2019 | 63 | 63 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents: Weighted totals = UK – 2003 (4,120), 2005 (3,892), 2007 (4,018), 2009 (2,011), 2011 (2,068), 2013 (1,927), 2015 (1,804), 2017 (2,113), 2019 (2,174); England – 2003 (3,412), 2005 (3,367), 2007 (3,339), 2009 (1,685), 2011 (1,733), 2013 (1,615), 2015 (1,512), 2017 (1,780), 2019 (1,831). Type of woodland visited

Figures suggest that of the respondents who visited woodlands and forests in the last few years, more visited ‘woodlands in the countryside’ (82% in both the UK and England, Table 2) than ‘woodlands in and around towns’ (72% in both the UK and England). Over one half of respondents (53% in the UK and 54% in England) reported visiting woodlands and forests in both locations.

Table 2: Type of woodland visited

| Type of woodland | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | |----------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | **UK** | | | | | | | | Woodlands in the countryside | 86 | 84 | 85 | 80 | 86 | 82 | | Woodlands in and around towns | 64 | 62 | 70 | 71 | 67 | 72 | | Both | 48 | 47 | 55 | 51 | 53 | 53 | | **England** | | | | | | | | Woodlands in the countryside | 84 | 84 | 85 | 81 | 85 | 82 | | Woodlands in and around towns | 61 | 62 | 68 | 72 | 67 | 72 | | Both | 45 | 46 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 54 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted totals = UK – 2009 (1,549), 2011 (1,393), 2013 (1,272), 2015 (1,015), 2017 (1,296), 2019 (1,360); England – 2009 (1,291), 2011 (1,170), 2013 (1,056), 2015 (826), 2017 (1,100), 2019 (1,151).
2. Responses for those who said they had been to ‘both’ types of woodlands have been included in the totals for ‘woodlands in and around towns’ and ‘woodlands in the countryside’. Reasons for not visiting woodland

All respondents were asked to indicate the main reasons for them not visiting woodland or forests more often or at all (Figure 1). This question was excluded from the 2017 survey but had been included in previous years.

Out of the response options provided, ‘I’m too busy/not enough time’ was the most commonly selected reason in the UK (30%) and in England (31%) for not visiting woodland in 2019. ‘Bad weather’ was reported as a reason for not visiting by 18% of respondents in both the UK and in England.

Figure 1 Main reasons for not visiting woodland

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted total = UK (2,174); England (1,831).
2. Respondents could select more than one reason. Frequency of woodland visits

Of the 2019 survey respondents who indicated they had visited woodlands in the last few years, around three quarters (74% in the UK and 75% in England) said that they visited at least once a month during the previous summer (between April 2018 and September 2018) (Table 3 and Figure 2). Few respondents who had visited woodlands in the past few years said that they did not visit during summer 2018 (4% in the UK and 3% in England).

Table 3 Frequency of woodland visits in Summer (April – September)

| Frequency | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | |----------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | **UK** | | | | | | | | Several times per week | 12 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 | | Several times per month | 24 | 29 | 31 | 26 | 30 | 32 | | About once a month | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 31 | 26 | | Less often | 34 | 27 | 24 | 28 | 19 | 22 | | Never | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | | **England** | | | | | | | | Several times per week | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | | Several times per month | 24 | 29 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 32 | | About once a month | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 33 | 26 | | Less often | 34 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 19 | 22 | | Never | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted totals = UK – 2009 (1,549), 2011 (1,393), 2013 (1,272), 2015 (1,015), 2017 (1,296), 2019 (1,360); England – 2009 (1,291), 2011 (1,170), 2013 (1,056), 2015 (826), 2017 (1,100), 2019 (1,151). Figure 2 Frequency of woodland visits in Summer 2018

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019. Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted totals = UK (1,360), England (1,151). Of the 2019 survey respondents who indicated they had visited woodlands in the last few years, just under half (45% in the UK and 46% in England) said they visited at least once a month during the previous winter (between October 2018 and March 2019) (Table 4 and Figure 3). One in five respondents (22% in the UK and 21% England) said they did not visit during winter 2018/19.

Table 4: Frequency of woodland visits in Winter (October to March) percent of respondents who had visited woodlands

| Frequency | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | |----------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | **UK** | | | | | | | | Several times per week | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | | Several times per month | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | | About once a month | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 21 | | Less often | 36 | 32 | 36 | 38 | 30 | 32 | | Never | 31 | 29 | 23 | 20 | 26 | 22 | | **England** | | | | | | | | Several times per week | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | | Several times per month | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | | About once a month | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | | Less often | 36 | 32 | 36 | 39 | 31 | 33 | | Never | 31 | 29 | 23 | 21 | 26 | 21 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted totals = UK – 2009 (1,549), 2011 (1,393), 2013 (1,272), 2015 (1,015), 2017 (1,296), 2019 (1,360); England – 2009 (1,291), 2011 (1,170), 2013 (1,056), 2015 (826), 2017 (1,100), 2019 (1,151). Figure 3 Frequency of woodland visits in Winter 2018/19

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted totals = UK (1,360), England (1,151). Management of woodland visited

Respondents who had visited woodlands in the last few years were then asked two questions relating to the management of woodland.

Around one third of respondents (36% in both the UK and England) reported that they did not know who managed the woodlands they had visited most recently (Table 5). The National Trust was identified as the manager by around one fifth of those asked (21% in the UK, 23% in England) and local authorities by 18% in the UK and 19% in England. The proportion of respondents who reported that the Forestry Commission managed the woodland they had visited most recently fell significantly in 2019 in both the UK (from 17% to 10%) and England (from 15% to 9%) when compared to figures for 2017. Table 5: Management of woodland visited most recently percent of respondents who had visited woodland

| Management | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | |-----------------------------------|------|------|------| | **UK** | | | | | National Trust | 22 | 24 | 21 | | Local Authority | 17 | 18 | 18 | | Forestry Commission | 16 | 17 | 10 | | Woodland Trust | 3 | 6 | 6 | | Community managed woodland | 2 | 1 | 2 | | Other | 6 | 4 | 7 | | Don't know | 33 | 30 | 36 | | **England** | | | | | National Trust | 24 | 26 | 23 | | Local Authority | 17 | 19 | 19 | | Forestry Commission | 13 | 15 | 9 | | Woodland Trust | 4 | 6 | 5 | | Community managed woodland | 3 | 1 | 2 | | Other | 6 | 4 | 6 | | Don't know | 33 | 29 | 36 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys. Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted totals = UK - 2015 (1,015), 2017 (1,296), 2019 (1,360); England - 2015 (826), 2017 (1,100), 2019 (1,151).

Respondents who had visited woodlands in the last few years were then asked to report how often they had visited woodland managed by the Forestry Commission in the previous 12 months.

Around two fifths of respondents in 2019 (41% in the UK, 43% in England) reported that they did not know how often they had visited Forestry Commission woodland and one fifth of respondents (20% the UK and 19% in England) reported that they had not visited Forestry Commission woodland in the previous 12 months (Figure 4). Around one in ten respondents in the UK (10%) and in England (9%) reported visiting Forestry Commission woodlands at least once a month (Figure 4).

**Figure 4 Frequency of visits to Forestry Commission woodland**

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted totals = UK (1,360); England (1,151). Membership of organisations

A question regarding the membership of organisations was introduced in 2017 and was asked again in the 2019 survey.

In 2019, most respondents (88% in both the UK and England) stated that they were not members of any of the organisations listed (Table 6).

Table 6 Membership of organisations

| Management | 2017 | 2019 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------| | **UK** | | | | National Trust or National Trust for Scotland | 8 | 8 | | English Heritage/Historic Scotland/Cadw (Wales) | 2 | 2 | | Member of a wildlife trust | 2 | 1 | | Royal Society for the Protection of Birds | 2 | 1 | | Woodland Trust | 2 | 1 | | Holder of a Forestry Commission England 'Discovery Pass' | 0 | 0 | | None of the above | 87 | 88 | | **England** | | | | National Trust or National Trust for Scotland | 9 | 9 | | English Heritage/Historic Scotland/Cadw (Wales) | 2 | 2 | | Member of a wildlife trust | 3 | 2 | | Royal Society for the Protection of Birds | 3 | 1 | | Woodland Trust | 2 | 1 | | Holder of a Forestry Commission England 'Discovery Pass' | 0 | 0 | | None of the above | 86 | 88 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents: Weighted total = UK 2017 (2,113), 2019 (2,174); England 2017 (1,780), 2019 (1,831).
2. Respondents could select more than one option. Engagement with forest issues

Respondents were asked whether they had been involved in woodland consultations or any volunteer groups and organised events associated with woodlands. 3% of respondents to the 2019 survey (in the UK and in England) said that they had been engaged with forest issues in the previous 12 months. This represents a statistically significant decrease in both the UK and England figures from the 2013 level of 10%, but is similar to the levels reported in the 2015 and 2017 surveys (Table 7).

In terms of the specific types of engagement covered, the results for UK and England in 2019 suggest that:

- 1% of respondents had been involved in voluntary work in connection with a woodland (e.g. physical work in a wood, administration, fund raising, running a group);
- 1% had been involved in an organised tree planting event;
- 1% were or had become a member of a community based woodland group (e.g. a 'Community Trust' or 'Friends of Group'); and
- 1% had been involved or consulted about plans for creating/managing or using woodlands in their area. Table 7: Engagement with forest issues in the last 12 months

| Type of engagement | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | **UK** | | | | | | | | Voluntary work in connection with a woodland | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Organised tree planting event | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | Member of a community based woodland group | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | Involved or consulted about plans for creating/managing or using woodlands in your area | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | None of these | 91 | 92 | 90 | 96 | 97 | 97 | | **England** | | | | | | | | Voluntary work in connection with a woodland | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | Organised tree planting event | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | Member of a community based woodland group | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | Involved or consulted about plans for creating/managing or using woodlands in your area | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | None of these | 91 | 92 | 90 | 95 | 97 | 97 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents: Weighted totals = UK – 2009 (2,011), 2011 (2,068), 2013 (1,927), 2015 (1,804), 2017 (2,113), 2019 (2,174); England – 2009 (1,685), 2011 (1,733), 2013 (1,615), 2015 (1,512), 2017 (1,780), 2019 (1,831). Importance of forestry

Respondents were asked two questions that assessed their level of agreement with a list of statements on the importance of woodlands and forests to the public and to themselves.

Table 8 shows the percentage of respondents who agreed (selected ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’) with each of the statements relating to the importance of woodland to the public.

The highest levels of agreement (90% or more) were with the following statements:

- ‘They are important places for wildlife’ (95% in the UK and 94% in England agreed);
- ‘They are places where people can relax and de-stress’ (93% in the UK and 93% in England agreed).
- ‘They are places where people can have fun and enjoy themselves’ (93% in the UK and 93% in England agreed).
- ‘They are places where people can exercise and keep fit’ (92% in the UK and 92% in England agreed).
- ‘They make areas nicer places to live’ (91% in the UK and 90% in England agreed).
- ‘They are places where people can learn about the environment’ (90% in the UK and 90% in England agreed). Table 8: Importance of woodlands and forests to the public

| Reason | UK | England | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----|---------| | They are important places for wildlife | 95 | 94 | | ... where people can relax and de-stress | 93 | 93 | | ... where people can have fun and enjoy themselves | 93 | 93 | | ... where people can exercise and keep fit | 92 | 92 | | They make areas nicer places to live | 91 | 90 | | ... where people can learn about the environment | 90 | 90 | | ... where people can learn about local culture or history | 73 | 72 | | They contribute to the local economy | 68 | 67 | | They bring the community together | 65 | 65 | | They get people involved in local issues | 63 | 62 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents: Weighted Totals = UK (2,174); England (1,831).

Respondents who had visited woodlands in the last few years were asked to what extent they agreed with a list of statements on why woodlands and forests are important to them (Table 9).

Most respondents in 2019 agreed (selected ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’) with most of the statements, but the highest level of agreement was with the statements that ‘They are places where ...’:

- ‘... I can relax and de-stress’ (94% in both UK and England); and
- ‘... I can have fun and enjoy myself’ (93% in both UK and England).

The lowest levels of agreements in 2019 were with the following statements:

- ‘They get me involved in local issues’ (43% in both the UK and England) Table 9: Importance of woodlands and forests to individuals percent of respondents who agree or strongly agree

| | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | |--------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | **UK** | | | | | | | | ... I can relax and de-stress | 94 | 95 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 94 | | ... I can have fun and enjoy myself | 91 | 94 | 91 | 91 | 92 | 93 | | ... I can exercise and keep fit | 84 | 90 | 87 | 85 | 86 | 89 | | ... I can learn about the environment | 80 | 80 | 77 | 79 | 79 | 84 | | ... I feel at home | 69 | 75 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 79 | | They are good places for me to socialise | 50 | 59 | 60 | 59 | 54 | 66 | | ... I can learn about local culture or history | .. | 64 | 66 | 66 | 63 | 66 | | They get me involved in local issues | 33 | 34 | 37 | 36 | 29 | 43 | | **England** | | | | | | | | ... I can relax and de-stress | 94 | 94 | 92 | 92 | 93 | 94 | | ... I can have fun and enjoy myself | 90 | 93 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 93 | | ... I can exercise and keep fit | 84 | 89 | 86 | 85 | 86 | 89 | | ... I can learn about the environment | 81 | 79 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 83 | | ... I feel at home | 69 | 75 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 78 | | They are good places for me to socialise | 51 | 58 | 61 | 60 | 55 | 67 | | ... I can learn about local culture or history | .. | 64 | 65 | 66 | 63 | 64 | | They get me involved in local issues | 34 | 35 | 37 | 38 | 31 | 43 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys. Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents who had visited woodland in the last few years: Weighted totals = UK – 2009 (1,549), 2011 (1,393), 2013 (1,272), 2015 (1,015), 2017 (1,296), 2019 (1,360); England – 2009 (1,291), 2011 (1,170), 2013 (1,056), 2015 (826), 2017 (1,100), 2019 (1,151).
2. .. Denotes data not available (statement not included in 2009 survey). Climate change

Respondents were asked to indicate their level of agreement with a series of statements regarding the way in which UK forests and woodlands should be managed in response to the threat of climate change.

The majority of respondents to the 2019 survey agreed or strongly agreed that (Table 10):

- ‘A lot more trees should be planted’ (88% in both the UK and in England); and
- ‘Different types of trees should be planted that will be more suited to future climates’ (78% in the UK and 77% in England).

Conversely, in 2019 fewer respondents agreed or strongly agreed that:

- ‘No action is needed; let nature take its course’ (26% in both the UK and England); and
- ‘Trees should not be felled in any circumstances, even if they are replaced’ (29% in the UK; 30% in England). Table 10 Management of UK forests in response to the threat of climate change

| Responses | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|------|------|------|------|------|------| | **UK** | | | | | | | | A lot more trees should be planted | 92 | 90 | 86 | 80 | 84 | 88 | | Different types of trees should be planted that will be more suited to future climates | 70 | 74 | 71 | 67 | 76 | 78 | | Trees should not be felled in any circumstances, even if they are replaced | 17 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 29 | | No action is needed, let nature take its course | 16 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 26 | | **England** | | | | | | | | A lot more trees should be planted | 92 | 90 | 85 | 78 | 84 | 88 | | Different types of trees should be planted that will be more suited to future climates | 70 | 74 | 71 | 67 | 76 | 77 | | Trees should not be felled in any circumstances, even if they are replaced | 17 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 30 | | No action is needed, let nature take its course | 16 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 26 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents: Weighted totals = UK – 2009 (2,011), 2011 (2,068), 2013 (1,927), 2015 (1,804), 2017 (2,113), 2019 (2,174); England – 2009 (1,685), 2011 (1,733), 2013 (1,615), 2015 (1,512), 2017 (1,780), 2019 (1,831). Tree health

Respondents were presented with a series of statements relating to tree health and asked to indicate their level of agreement.

The majority of respondents to the 2019 survey agreed or strongly agreed that:

- ‘Action should be taken by authorities and woodland managers to protect trees from damaging pests and diseases’ (85% in both the UK and England); and that
- ‘Everyone should take action when visiting woodlands to help prevent the spread of damaging tree pests and diseases’ (74% in both the UK and England).

Conversely, fewer respondents in 2019 agreed or strongly agreed that:

- ‘There is very little that anyone can do to prevent the spread of damaging pests and diseases’ (23% in the UK and 24% England); and that
- ‘I am aware that possible tree pests and diseases can be reported using the Tree Alert app or website’ (25% in both the UK and England).

### Table 11 Tree health

| Statement | UK 2015 | UK 2017 | UK 2019 | Eng 2015 | Eng 2017 | Eng 2019 | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------| | Action should be taken by authorities and woodland managers to protect trees from damaging pests and diseases | 75 | 85 | 85 | 74 | 84 | 85 | | Everyone should take action when visiting woodlands to help prevent the spread of damaging tree pests and diseases | 57 | 74 | 74 | 57 | 74 | 74 | | I would be willing to look out for and report sightings of pests and diseases on trees, if appropriate information and advice was available to me | 55 | 65 | 65 | 55 | 65 | 65 | | If I buy an imported tree, it is more likely to carry tree pests and diseases than a tree grown in the UK | 42 | 48 | 46 | 42 | 48 | 46 | | I am aware that possible tree pests and diseases can be reported using the Tree Alert app or website | 22 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 25 | | There is very little that anyone can do to prevent the spread of damaging tree pests and diseases | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 |

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Surveys.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents: Weighted totals =
   - UK – 2015 (1,804), 2017 (2,113), 2019 (2,174);
   - England – 2015 (1,512), 2017 (1,780), 2019 (1,831).
2. .. denotes data not available (statement not included in 2013 survey). Figure 5 Tree health, UK

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents in the UK: Weighted total = UK (2,174). Figure 6 Tree health, England

- **I am aware that possible tree pests and diseases can be reported using the Tree Alert app or website**

  - Strongly Agree: 20%
  - Agree: 14%
  - Neither agree nor disagree: 31%
  - Disagree: 20%
  - Strongly Disagree: 9%

- **If I buy an imported tree, it is more likely to carry tree pests and diseases than a tree grown in the UK**

  - Strongly Agree: 10%
  - Agree: 37%
  - Neither agree nor disagree: 31%
  - Disagree: 8%
  - Strongly Disagree: 14%

- **Action should be taken by authorities and woodland managers to protect trees from damaging pests and diseases**

  - Strongly Agree: 23%
  - Agree: 62%
  - Neither agree nor disagree: 9%

- **There is very little that anyone can do to prevent the spread of damaging tree pests and diseases**

  - Strongly Agree: 20%
  - Agree: 22%
  - Neither agree nor disagree: 39%
  - Disagree: 7%
  - Strongly Disagree: 8%

- **I would be willing to look out for and report sightings of pests and diseases on trees, if appropriate information and advice was available to me**

  - Strongly Agree: 15%
  - Agree: 51%
  - Neither agree nor disagree: 18%
  - Disagree: 10%

- **Everyone should take action when visiting woodlands to help prevent the spread of damaging tree pests and diseases**

  - Strongly Agree: 15%
  - Agree: 58%
  - Neither agree nor disagree: 17%

Source: UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019.

Note:

1. Figures are based on all respondents in England. Weighted total = England (1,831). Annex

Introduction

This annex provides background information on the statistics presented in this release. It covers the data sources and methodology used to produce the statistics, information on quality measures and on any revisions to historic data and links to further information.

Glossary

Biosecurity A set of precautions that aim to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful organisms. These may be pests, pathogens or invasive species.

Clustering A sampling technique where the entire population is divided into groups, or clusters, and a random sample of these clusters are selected. All (or a selection of) observations in the selected clusters are included in the sample. Cluster sampling is often used when a random sample would produce a list of subjects so widely scattered that surveying them would prove to be far too expensive.

Confidence interval An estimated range of values that is likely to include an unknown population parameter (i.e. a fixed value for the population as a whole). The confidence interval around an estimate is derived from the sample data, and is used to indicate the reliability of the estimate.

Design factor A factor applied in the calculation of confidence intervals to take account of the survey design (clustering, weighting, stratification) used in selecting the sample. A design factor of 1.5 is commonly assumed by Market Research companies for omnibus surveys of the population.

Forest In the United Kingdom, there is no formal definition of “forest”; the term is often used for large woodland areas (especially conifers) or for old Royal hunting preserves such as the New Forest or the Forest of Dean. Forestry Commission (FC) The government department responsible for forestry matters in England, Scotland (until March 2019) and Wales (until March 2013). The Forestry Commission’s functions in Wales transferred to the Welsh Government and to Natural Resources Wales on 1 April 2013. The Forestry Commission’s functions in Scotland transferred to Scottish Forestry and to Forestry and Land Scotland on 1 April 2019.

Great Britain (GB) England, Wales and Scotland.

Quota sampling A method of sampling where interviewers are each given a fixed number of subjects of specified type to interview.

Statistical significance A statistical assessment of whether observations reflect an actual pattern rather than just chance.

Stratification A sampling technique where the entire population is divided into groups, or strata, and a random sample is selected within each group. Stratified sampling is often used to ensure that sufficient numbers from each group are included in the overall sample, particularly where results are required for each group.

United Kingdom (UK) Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Weighting A set of factors assigned to survey responses to ensure that the resulting weighted results are representative of the population as a whole.

Woodland Land under stands of trees of at least 0.5 hectare in extent and with a minimum width of 20 metres, with a tree canopy cover of at least 20% (25% in Northern Ireland), or having the potential to achieve this, including integral open space, and including felled areas that are awaiting restocking. Can exist in rural or urban settings. Data Sources and Methodology

Background The Forestry Commission/Forest Research has conducted biennial surveys of public attitudes to forestry and forestry-related issues since 1995. The surveys have evolved since then as follows:

- In the initial surveys, a representative sample of 2,000 adults across Great Britain (GB) was surveyed;
- In 2001, with more interest in country-level results within GB, additional questions were asked of representative samples of 1,000 adults in each of Scotland and Wales;
- Information has also been collected for Northern Ireland in the past through UK wide surveys in 2003 and the separate Northern Ireland surveys (1,000 adults) carried out in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2019;
- In 2019 three separate surveys were carried out for the UK, for Northern Ireland and for Wales. Some questions were asked in all three of the surveys conducted in 2019, but a number of questions have become survey-specific.

The table below is a summary of the previous surveys and presents the approximate number of adults interviewed for each country. England results are a subset of the UK survey. Table A1: Sample sizes for Public Opinion of Forestry surveys since 2001

| Year | UK¹ | England² | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | |------|-----|----------|-------|----------|-----------------| | 2001 | 2,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | | 2003 | 4,000 | 3,400 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | 2005 | 4,000 | 3,400 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | 2007 | 4,000 | 3,300 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | 2009 | 2,000 | 1,700 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | | 2010 | | | | | 1,000 | | 2011 | 2,000 | 1,700 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | | 2013 | 2,000 | 1,600 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | | 2014 | | | | | 1,000 | | 2015 | 2,000 | 1,500 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | | 2017 | 2,000 | 1,800 | 1,000 | 1,000 | | | 2019 | 2,200 | 1,800 | 1,000 | 1,000 | |

Note:

1. 2001 and 2005 surveys covered Great Britain only (i.e. excluding Northern Ireland).
2. Results for England are derived from UK surveys.

Survey Design The 2019 survey results presented in this report are taken from the Kantar TNS CAPI Omnibus survey carried out from the 20th to 24th March 2019. The survey was based on a representative sample of 2,174 adults (aged 16 or over) across the UK, of whom 1,814 adults were in England. Kantar TNS CAPI Omnibus also carried out the previous survey in 2017.

The 2009 - 2015 surveys were obtained from the GfK NOP Random Location Omnibus survey.

The UK 2007 survey data were also obtained from the Kantar TNS CAPI Omnibus survey and the 2003 and 2005 survey data were obtained from the TNS RSGB General Omnibus. These surveys had a higher sample size of 4,000 adults for UK/GB. Note that surveys undertaken by different Market Research companies employ different survey designs, so comparisons should be taken with care.

Methodology

The Kantar TNS Omnibuses employ a random location methodology each week. A varying number of sampling points are issued depending upon the length of the questionnaire. The number of Great Britain sampling points issued can be 208, 192, 176, 151 or 143 and corresponding sampling points in Northern Ireland are 7, 5, 5, 4 or 4. The points used are sub samples of those determined in a sampling system developed by Kantar TNS for its internal use.

Sampling Frame

2011 Census small area statistics and the Postcode Address File (PAF) were used to define sample points. These are areas of similar population sizes formed by the combination of wards with the constraint that each point must be contained within a region. In addition, geographic systems were employed to minimise the drive time required to cover each area as optimally as possible.

600 points were defined south of the Caledonian Canal in Great Britain [GB]. Another 25 were defined in a similar fashion in Northern Ireland. Finally, 5 points were defined north of the Caledonian Canal. These latter differ in size from the other points and each other to meet the need to separately cover the different parts of the Highlands and Islands.

Stratification and Sample Point Selection

415 points were selected south of the Caledonian Canal for use by the Omnibuses after stratification by Government Office Region and Social Grade. They were also checked to ensure they are representative by an urban and rural classification. Those points are divided into two replicates. One set are used in one week. The other set are used in the next week. One of the points north of the Caledonian Canal is also used. 14 of the points in Northern Ireland are selected and divided into two replicates. Those replicates are used in rotation to give a wide spread across the Province over time. Similarly, the statistical accuracy of the GB sampling is maximised by issuing sequential waves of fieldwork systematically across the sampling frame to provide maximum geographical dispersion. This ensures that the sample point selection remains representative for any specific fieldwork wave. Selection of Clusters within Sampling Points

All the sample points in the sampling frame have been divided into two geographically distinct segments each containing, as far as possible, equal populations. The segments comprise aggregations of complete wards. For the Omnibuses, alternate A and B halves are worked each wave of fieldwork. Each week different wards are selected in each required half and Census Output Areas selected within those wards. Then, groups of OAs containing a minimum of 200 addresses are sampled in those areas from the PAF (a maximum of 250 addresses are issued per assignment).

Interviewing

The addresses, selected as above, are issued to achieve an adult sample of 10, 11, 12, 14 or 16 interviews in provincial areas and 10, 10, 11, 14 or 15 in London depending upon the questionnaire length. Assignments are conducted over two days of fieldwork and are carried out weekday 2pm-8pm and at the weekend. Quotas are set by gender/housewife. Within female presence of children and working status is set, within men working status is set to ensure a balanced sample of adults within effective contacted addresses. All interviewers must leave 3 doors between each successful interview.

Questionnaire

A copy of the 2019 questionnaire is provided at the end of this release. This covers the questions requested by Forest Research. In addition, a small number of additional questions are included as standard in the omnibus surveys run by Market Research companies (e.g. gender, age, country/region) and some of these are also used in analysing the results from the survey.

Most questions are retained from one survey to the next, to enable comparisons over time. However, changes are sometimes made to reflect changing circumstances or priorities, or to improve the wording of questions. The following changes were made for the 2019 questionnaire:

- A question that asked about reasons for not visiting woodlands/forests has been re-instated (Q1c), after being dropped in 2017;
- A question that asked about the importance of woodlands and forests to the public has been re-instated (Q7), after being dropped in 2017;
- A question that asked about urban trees was dropped.

Quality

The data collected in the survey are weighted, to correct for imbalances between the profiles of the sample and the population and therefore ensure that the weighted results are representative of the UK adult population. For the 2019 survey, this weighting has resulted in an increase in the apparent number of respondents in England, from a total 1,814 adults who were interviewed to a weighted total of 1,831. The results quoted in this report are based on weighted data.

All results are subject to the effects of chance in sampling, so a range of uncertainty (confidence interval) should be associated with any result from the survey. The confidence intervals take into account the effect of clustering, weighting and stratification in the survey design (see methodology, above, for more details) – this is known as a design factor and is commonly assumed to be around 1.5 for surveys of this type.

Confidence intervals are most commonly reported at the 95% level. This means that there is a 95% chance that the true population value lies within the confidence interval. The following provides a guide to interpreting the results in this report on the basis of a 95% confidence interval and includes an assumed design factor of 1.5:

- For questions asked in 2019 to the whole UK sample of 2,174, the range of uncertainty around any figure should be no more than ±3.2% (±3.4% for the 1,831 respondents in England).
- For responses of subgroups, i.e. questions not posed to the whole sample of respondents, the range of uncertainty is correspondingly higher. For example, the uncertainty for statistics asked only to those who visited woodland (1,360 respondents in the UK and 1,151 in England) should be no more than ±4.0% for the UK and no more than ±4.3% for England.
- For questions asked to whole samples, differences of more than 4.5% (UK) or 4.9% (England) between the 2019 results and 2017 results are statistically significant.
- For questions asked only to those who had visited woodland, differences of more than 5.7% (UK) or 6.2% (England) between the 2019 results and 2017 results are statistically significant.

Given the small sample sizes within the UK survey for respondents living in other parts of the UK, it is not recommended that the UK survey be used to provide results for Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Please refer to the separate survey reports for Wales and Northern Ireland, available at https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/statistics-by-topic/public-opinion-of-forestry/, for relevant results. Further quality information on FC Official Statistics is available at: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/about-our-statistics/.

Revisions Statistics on the proportion of adults who have been actively engaged in forestry have already been released, in the Forestry Commission’s Corporate Plan Performance Indicators 2019. Other results from the 2019 survey are published for the first time in this release.

All figures are final. Figures for earlier years have not been revised from those previously released.

The Forestry Commission’s revisions policy sets out how revisions and errors to these statistics are dealt with, and can be found at: www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/about-our-statistics/code-of-practice/quality-of-official-statistics/.

Further information Accompanying tables to this release, available at www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/statistics-by-topic/public-opinion-of-forestry/, provide more detailed figures, showing standard breakdowns.

Figures in tables have been independently rounded, so may not add to the totals shown.

Release schedule The UK Public Opinion of Forestry is a biennial survey, next due to run in early 2021 with results likely to be available in summer 2021.

Official Statistics This is an Official Statistics publication. For more information about Official Statistics and the UK Statistics Authority visit www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk. UK Public Opinion of Forestry Survey 2019: Questionnaire

Q1

[All]

a) In the last few years have you visited forests or woodlands for walks, picnics or other recreation?

(Single answer)

- Yes
- No

[Ask if answered yes to Q1a.]

b) Did you visit woodlands in the countryside or woodlands in and around towns or both?

(Single answer)

- Woodlands in the countryside
- Woodlands in and around towns
- Both

[All]

c) Which of the following, if any, are the main reasons for you not visiting woodland/forests more often or at all?

- Don’t have a car
- Lack of suitable public transport
- Other personal mobility reasons (difficulty in walking, unwell, etc.)
- Woods are too far away
- Cost of visiting
- Lack of information about woods to visit
- Concerns that woods are not safe
- Woodlands are badly maintained
- Lack of confidence
- Lack of facilities (play areas, picnic areas, etc.)
- Not interested in visiting more often
- I’m too busy/not enough time
- Prefer other areas of countryside
- Bad weather
- None of the above Q2

[If answered yes to Q1a]

a) How frequently did you visit forests and woodlands last summer, i.e. between April and September 2018?

(Single answer)

- Several times per week
- Several times per month
- About once a month
- Less often
- Never

[If answered yes to Q1a]

b) And how often this winter, i.e. since October 2018?

(Single answer)

- Several times per week
- Several times per month
- About once a month
- Less often
- Never

Q3

[If answered yes to Q1a]

Who managed the woodland you visited most recently?

(Single answer)

- Community Managed Woodland
- Forestry Commission
- Local Authority
- National Trust
- Woodland Trust
- Other (specify)
- Don’t know Q4

[If answered yes to Q1a]

Thinking back about all of your visits to woodland over the last 12 months, what is your best estimate of how many times you visited a woodland managed by the Forestry Commission?

(Single answer)

- None
- Once or twice
- 3-5 times
- 6-10 times
- About once a month
- About once a fortnight
- About once a week
- About twice a week
- About once a day
- About twice a day
- More often

Q5

[All]

Are you a ...?

(Multi answer)

- Member of English Heritage, Historic Scotland or Cadw in Wales
- Holder of a Forestry Commission England ‘Discovery Pass’
- Member of the National Trust or National Trust for Scotland
- Member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
- Member of a wildlife trust
- Member of the Woodland Trust
- None of the above Q6

[All]

Have you in the past 12 months...

(Multi answer)

- Been involved or consulted about plans for creating/managing or using woodlands in your area
- Been involved in an organised tree planting event
- Been involved in voluntary work in connection with a woodland (e.g. physical work in a wood, admin, fund raising, running a group)
- Become or are a member of a community based woodland group such as a ‘Community Trust’ or ‘Friends of’ group
- None of these

Q7

[All]

Now thinking specifically about woodlands and forests and why they are important to the public please tell me whether you strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements.

I think woodlands and forests are important to the public because...

(1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) neither agree or disagree, (4) agree, (5) strongly agree, (6) don't know

- They contribute to the local economy
- They are places where people can relax and de-stress
- They are places where people can exercise and keep fit
- They are places where people can have fun and enjoy themselves
- They are places where people can learn about the environment
- They are places where people can learn about local culture or history
- They are important places for wildlife
- They bring the community together
- They make areas nicer places to live
- They get people involved in local issues Q8

[If answered yes to Q1a]

Now thinking specifically about woodlands and forests you have visited and why they are important to you personally please tell me how strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with the following statements.

Woodlands and forests are important to me because...

(1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) neither agree or disagree, (4) agree, (5) strongly agree, (6) don't know

- They are places where I can relax and de-stress
- They are places where I can exercise and keep fit
- They are places where I can have fun and enjoy myself
- They are good places for me to socialise
- They are places where I can learn about the environment
- They are places where I can learn about local culture or history
- They get me involved in local issues
- They are places where I feel at home

Q9

[All]

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements regarding how UK forests and woodlands should be managed in response to the threat of climate change?

(1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) neither agree or disagree, (4) agree, (5) strongly agree, (6) don't know

- No action is needed; let nature take its course
- A lot more trees should be planted
- Trees should not be felled in any circumstances, even if they are replaced
- Different types of trees should be planted that will be more suited to future climates Q10

[All]

Would you agree or disagree with the following statements relating to tree health?

(1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) neither agree or disagree, (4) agree, (5) strongly agree, (6) don't know

- Everyone should take action when visiting woodlands to help prevent the spread of damaging tree pests and diseases (e.g. by brushing the soil from their bikes, boots, buggies and clothing between visits to parks, woodlands and gardens).
- I would be willing to look out for and report sightings of pests and diseases on trees, if appropriate information and advice was available to me.
- There is very little that anyone can do to prevent the spread of damaging tree pests and diseases.
- Action should be taken by authorities and woodland managers to protect trees from damaging pests and diseases.
- If I buy an imported tree, it is more likely to carry tree pests and diseases than a tree grown in the UK.
- I am aware that possible tree pests and diseases can be reported using the Tree Alert website.

Q11

[All]

Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more?

(Single answer)

- Yes
- No (Go to END) Q12

[Ask if answered yes to Q11a. Others to END]

Do any of these conditions or illnesses affect your use of woodlands/forests or other greenspaces?

(Single answer)

- Yes
- No